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How to Build a Kayak Stand or Canoe Stand for $20 or Less

Building a kayak stand or canoe stand needn’t take long nor cost much. I whipped up this canoe/kayak stand in about one hour, which included the run to the lumberyard to buy supplies. It packs down small enough to fit in the trunk of a small car, and it’s sturdy enough to support a boat while you work on it. Its small profile stays out of the way for a display. All you need to complete it are a few tools.

Tools

Because this project is simple, you can pull it off with a limited number of tools.

Handsaw

Drill with drill bit

Screwdriver

Wrench

Lighter

Knife

Building a Kayak Stand or Canoe Stand

Cut four 3-foot uprights for your stand from the 2-by-2s. Keep the cuts square.

Cut four 2-foot feet from the 2-by-2s.

Drill a centered hole that is big enough for your bolts in the center of each upright.

Screw a 2-foot foot to each upright to make four pieces that look like “T”s. Before you screw the foot into the end of the upright, drill a pilot hole to prevent the wood from splitting. The foot should parallel the bolt hole that you drilled in each upright.

Bolt two “T”s together to make a stand.

Cut two pieces of webbing 2 feet 3 inches long. You can vary the length as desired. A shorter length fits a narrower boat and rises the height of the stand slightly. The suggested size is a good length for using it as a kayak stand or a canoe stand.

Burn the ends of the nylon to prevent fraying.

Screw one end the top of one side of a stand and the other end into the other side. Use screws fitted with washers to prevent the nylon from pulling off the screw. Drilling a pilot hole helps prevent the wood from splitting.

Bryan Hansel is a freelance writer, award-winning photographer and an American Canoe Association L4 Open Water Coastal Kayaking Instructor. His home port is on Lake Superior in Grand Marais, Minnesota. He also teaches photography workshops.

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Paddlinglight.com is an online resource for paddlers. It offers information about lightweight canoe and kayak travel, how-to articles, trip reports, adventure stories, kayak plans, canoe plans and reviews. We promote self-direction by emphasizing the do-it-yourself culture, and we believe growing paddlesport participation advances wilderness protection. Part of our mission is promoting the protection and preservation of our federal, state and local lands.

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The more you know, the less you carry. -Mors Kochanski

Go light; the lighter the better, so that you have the simplest material for health, comfort and enjoyment. - Nessmuk